Veteran City council pair say goodbye

Two long time councillors said goodbye as City council wrapped up its last regular meeting before next week’s election.

Tears were flowing from their colleagues as Councillors Larry Pimm and Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer concluded their last meetings.

Both councillors gave small speeches at the end of the meeting, which also marked the last meeting for the current council as a whole.

Pimm, who served 27 years on City council, said he ended his last meeting with a satisfied feeling.

“I’ve worked with 30 different councillors, three different mayors, three different City managers – it’s been a tremendous experience,” he said. “The community has achieved a tremendous amount and I’m very, very proud of it.”

Pimm added he is looking forward to starting the next stage of his life.

Some of the highlights for Pimm over almost three decades of work include the construction of the Centrium, the Arts Centre, the Dawe Centre, the Waskasoo Park – which he added was the best thing the City did for the public.

He added he thinks the City of Red Deer has a bright future ahead.

“We’ve slowed down development to catch our breath. We’re going to continue to grow – sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Our facilities are reasonably well maintained,” said Pimm. “Some people worry about debt, but I compare it to 1983 after the great surge in building and the fast economy. We lived through that quite comfortably; nobody had to live in a cave.